Just So Stories

Magabala Books

July 2026

ISBN: 9781922864819

RRP: $27.99

This is absolutely stunning – there’s no other word for it. Both Ambelin’s striking contemporary Aboriginal artwork and her simple yet powerful text make this a must-have for any collection.

I’m sure many of you will have already seen it but for those who haven’t, let me tell you that you need this. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a picture book purely for younger readers or primary kiddos because this is also one to use as a text to spark robust and meaningful discussions with much older students [even adults] particularly those who are conducting inquiry into First Nations history, culture, sovereignty and treaty.

Each double spread is a riot of colour with a simple statement of fact to consider, written in such a moving and lyrical way that it becomes poetic with a flow that carries the reader forward. Laying out how First Nations peoples connect to Country, what is meant by Country and those connections, the dispossessions following colonisation – the effects of which are still being felt today- and the desire to move forward to resolve the disconnect and the falsehoods about terra nullius (as has happened in other similar countries around the world).

I particularly love that, while Ambelin has chosen to write this in English, the punctuation one might expect in an English text has been deliberately omitted giving this the natural flow in the way a story or explanation might be told traditionally. The back matter provides a summation of this and a full-page explanation of the underlying theme and intent of the text.

What a book it is! Absolutely brilliant and I could gladly give it more than this rich and colourful 5 ❤️💙💛💚🩷 rating for all readers.